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Simple Steps To Keep Home Insurance Costs Down

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Financial Revitalize

As homeowners insurance premiums rise across the nation, Bankrate.com writes a helpful story on ways to keep your premiums down.  The tips may surprise you.

Some of the highlights include:

  1. Don't think a series of small claims is better than one big claim.  The smaller claims are more expensive to process for an insurer and may result in higher premiums for your home.
  2. Don't lie about your history of claims -- similar to CARFAX, homeowners have a "record" that track prior filings and getting busted is only a database search away.
  3. Higher credit scores can lead to lower premiums because homeowners will higher scores tend to make fewer claims.
  4. Your driving records impact your premium calculation.

The article also provides a fair amount of myth-busting so it's worth a read.  A few minutes could save you some good money on your home insurance.

Jason Romrell
Business Attorney and Success Advisor - Los Angeles, CA
Nice summary of some very good tips.  Thanks.
Aug 14, 2007 04:11 PM
delete me delete me
delete me - Dixon, CA
I can assume a correlation between good credit and less claims...I could see that working out...I didn't know my driving record impacted my premium...what's the connection? Just showing responsibility?
Aug 14, 2007 05:24 PM
Dawn Workman
Veracity Real Estate Group, LLC - Camas, WA
Camas Real Estate Expert, MBA, 480-540-8100
Good post.  As a former insurance agent I would suggest not to turn in small claims at all.  I had a client that turned in 4 claims that never even paid out because they were so small, but destroyed his insurance scores and nobody would give him insurance!
Aug 14, 2007 05:45 PM
Julie Neerings~Lifting Hearts ♥ Building Dreams~
Agent Referral - Salt Lake City, UT
Ilyce-Thank you for this great information.  We all need this reminder.  Especially if we make a lot of claims on a home, it can ruin the insurability of the home itself.  
Aug 15, 2007 04:37 PM
Ilyce N. Powell
Financial Revitalize - Baltimore, MD
CMPS- Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Jason - Thank you.

Rondel - It's a roundabout way of thinking as far as premiums are concerned. It's all about risk. I'm not exactly sure if information is shared between insurance carriers, but if you hold multiple policies with the same company, then you are definitely at risk. The auto insurance division will always find out about your driving faux-pas and share that information with the homeowners insurance division. It's only a matter of time before your premiums change.

Dawn - Thanks for clarifying that. I'm of the opinion that if you can afford to pay out of pocket, then you should do it. 

Julie - You're welcome. and BINGO! LOL 

Aug 16, 2007 03:44 AM